How can life on earth be so hard? Where is God? We all know people who are struggling with the most horrible circumstances in their lives. Many times that person is ourselves. Where is God? Why does he allow this to happen? Jesus told us, These things I have spoken unto you, so that you might have peace. In this world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.(John 16:33)
What does Jesus mean, when he says he has overcome the world?
My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life. But the thief comes to kill, steal, and destroy. (John 10:10)
You have an enemy and he wants to steal every area of your life. Your health, your relationships, your finances, everything, in every way. He wants to destroy the peace, love, and joy you can have in your life. But, Jesus came so that we could have life, and more abundantly. He overcame our enemy, the world; And the last enemy to be destroyed is death ( I Corinthians 15:26) Sickness and death are the enemy and in the end, they will be destroyed.
You see, we are prisoners of war here on earth. In this life on earth, you suffer as a prisoner and slave and the following is the reason why your life can feel like a living hell.
There was a war in heaven; Michael and his angels fought against the dragon, and the dragon fought and his angels and prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven. And the great dragon was cast out, the old serpent called the Devil, and Satan, which deceived the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast with him.(Rev 12:7-17)
And the devil, taking Jesus up into a high mountain, showed unto him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. And the devil said unto him, All of this power will I give thee, and the glory of them; for that is delivered unto me; and to whomever, I will I give it. If you, therefore, will worship me, all will be yours. (Luke 4:5-8)
The devil took authority of the earth from Adam. Adam had unwittingly given it to him, "for it was delivered up to him"
Wherefore, as by one man (Adam) sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all sinned (Romans 5:12)
Power and wealth are a trap the devil offered Jesus. He tempts you and me in the same way, but don't give in to the temptation. To love the world, fame, and fortune is to worship a false god, the devil.
Jesus answered and said “Get thee behind me, Satan; for it is written Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and Him only shall you serve. (Luke 4:8).
You see, the devil, Satan, wants you to worship him and will promise you riches and power in exchange. But it is a trap. Because as you will see, you may enjoy riches and power for a time with worldly goods, but it is very temporary and you will be exchanging these temporary riches for an eternity of torment in hell.
There was a certain rich man, which was clothed in purple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously every day. And there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, which was laid at his gate, full of sores, and desiring to be fed with the crumbs that fell from the rich man's table: moreover, the dogs came and licked his sores.
And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham's bosom: The rich man also died and was buried. And in hell he lifts up his eyes, being in torments, and saw Abraham afar off, and with Lazarus in his bosom.
And the rich man cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.
But Abraham said, Son, remember that you in your lifetime received your good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and you are tormented.
And beside all this, between us and you, there is a great gulf fixed; so that they which would pass from hence to you cannot; neither can they pass to us, that would come from thence.
( There is a gulf, you CANNOT PASS back and forth. )
The rich man said, I pray thee therefore, father, that you would send him to my father's house: For I have five brothers that he may testify unto them lest they also come into this place of torment.
Abraham said to him, They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them.
And the rich man said, Nay, father Abraham: but if one went unto them from the dead, they will repent.
And Abraham said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead (Luke16:19-31)
But God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his son. ( II John 5:11)
The enemy of this world deceives you. A temporary life of wealth and riches will end in endless torment. Jesus died and rose from the dead so that you could live with him in peace and comfort for all eternity. His prophets have told you, and He has told you how you can be saved from life and eternity in hell. The world deceives you. You must trust and believe in Jesus Christ to be saved.
Here are two people who have lived a life of hell. But by acting in belief in Jesus Christ, their lives changed forever.
And the woman had a spirit of infirmity for eighteen years. Jesus healed her and said Satan had bound her those eighteen years. He had laid hands on her and immediately she became straight. ( Luke 13:11-17)
For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places." (Ephesians 6:12, also read Deuteronomy 18:10-13, Matthew 8: 28b&32 and Acts 5:16)
Our fight isn't with people and our own bodies. It is the rulers of the darkness, our enemy that we fight against. Jesus gives us all power and authority to stop them in his name.
Then Jesus came to them and said, All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey all that I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age. (Mark 16:18)
Wherein in time past, ye walked according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now works in the children of disobedience. (Ephesians 2:2)
But through Him (Jesus)we both have access by one Spirit unto the father. Now, therefore, we are no more strangers and foreigners but fellow-citizens with the saints and of the household of God (Eph 2:19)
Beloved believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world. Hereby know ye the spirit of God; Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God. And every spirit that confesses not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God; and this is that spirit of an anti-christ, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world. Beloved, let us love one another; for love is of God, and everyone that loves is born of God and knows God. (I John 4:1-3, 7)
God is fighting for us and sent his son to save us. In whom the god of this world has blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine. The God of this world, who has blinded those who don't believe Jesus Christ is the perfect reflection of God, the Father. Corinthians 4:4)
God made a life for mankind on the earth GOOD, but Adam and Eve wanted to know evil. They didn't believe God when he said that if they ate from the tree of Good and Evil they would surely die.(Genesis 2:17 & 3:4-5) But they died instantly; their spirit died.
The body without the spirit is dead. (James 3:26) )
Your spirit is the most important part of your life. It is your direct connection to God. God is a spirit and he who worships him must worship him in spirit and in truth. (John 4:24 )
Not only did they lose their direct connection to understand and to know God, but they also lost dominion over the earth and the good life. (Genesis 4:16-17 and Luke 4:5 ) All they gained from the deception of Satan, the serpent and the god of this world, was sickness, hardship, and death.
But God so loved the world he gave his only begotten son, whosoever believes in him shall not perish but will have eternal life. (John 3:16)
Whosoever means everyone and anyone that believes in him, no matter who they are or what they have done.
We have all fallen short of the glory of God. (Romans 3:23)
It's by grace you are saved not by works lest any man should boast it is a gift from God. ( Ephesians 2:8 )
Please think about this for a moment. God does not want you to perish. He wants you to have a life full of joy and health.
Above all I wish you to prosper and be in health even as thy soul prospers. ( 3 John 2 )
You see God is for you, not against you. He sent his son to save you. And like Adam and Eve, you have a choice to trust and believe him or not.
Jesus said unto him if thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth. (Mark 9:23)
A very important truth the child of God must keep fresh in their heart is that believing is easy. To trust God is to believe God. God designed you to trust and believe Him. But the world and the people in it are constantly gnawing and grinding on the purity of your trust.
Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not to your own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. (Proverbs 3: 5-6)
It says to trust in God. The word “Lord” is Jehovah, meaning God in his covenant relationship, the one who fulfills his promises. Trust in him with all your heart. This is God's word and God's will for you, to trust him with all of your heart.
Let's study an account of two people who trusted God in the direst of situations.
And, behold, there cometh one of the rulers of the synagogue, Jairus by name; and when he saw him [Jesus], he fell at his feet,
And with an anguished heart sought out him greatly, saying, My little daughter lies at the point of death: I pray thee, come and lay thy hands on her, that so that she will be healed and live. (Mark 5:22-23)
In verse 23 we saw that Jairus greatly sought out Jesus himself. One thing to note is that “believe” is a verb and when someone believes, he acts upon his belief. Jairus believed that Jesus the Christ could heal his daughter and save her life; therefore, he came to him.
The proof someone is really believing in his heart is that he acts upon his belief. Jairus did not sit at home mourning the soon-coming death of his daughter. Instead, he believed and trusted God; therefore he went to Jesus and sought him greatly. He acted on what he believed, which is the proof he believed it in his heart. He was believing with his whole heart that his daughter would be delivered from death
And Jesus went with him, and many people followed him and thronged him. And a certain woman, which had an issue of blood twelve years, And had suffered many things of many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was nothing bettered, but rather grew worse. When she had heard of Jesus, came in the press behind, and touched his garment. For she said If I may touch but his clothes, I shall be whole.
And straightway the fountain of her blood was dried up, and she felt her body that she was healed of the plague.
And Jesus, immediately knowing in himself that virtue had gone out of him, turned him about in the press, and said, Who touched my clothes?
And the disciples said to him, thou sees the multitude thronging thee, and sayest thou, Who touched me? But the woman fearing and trembling, knowing what was done for her, came and fell down before him, and told him all the truth.
And Jesus said unto her, daughter, your faith has made you whole (believing God) go in peace and be healed from your plague. (Mark 5:21-34)
Look at what this woman said in her heart in verse 28. Look at what she believed in her heart. Her confession was that if she could just touch Jesus Christ's clothes, she would be made whole. She said, “I shall be whole.”
We are seeing two people in two of life's most tragic and heart-rendering situations. Jairus made his confession out loud before all, and the woman made her confession within. Both believed in their hearts and received. The man is facing the death of his daughter, and this wonderful woman has been robbed of her finances and health to the point of great suffering and misery, yet in their hearts, both are expecting the impossible to come to pass. They expected complete deliverance and received it.
The verse from Matthew shows that you can say things within yourself, as other verses convey that you can say things out loud. It makes no difference: it is just important that you trust God in your heart to bring it to pass. If this wonderful woman could believe God to deliver from a terrible condition, then anyone can be delivered of anything. This account clearly depicts the simplicity and accuracy of the law of believing, which is faith in God.
You can, with God's Word and God's help, overcome everything that has ever held you back by believing and trusting in God. “Nay, in all things you are more than conquerors through him that loved us. (Romans 8:37)
Jesus died and rose from the dead in three days. His tomb was empty. He was seen by his disciples and over 500 people 40 days after his death. He ascended up into heaven but before he left he promised to send us his comforter, that he would never leave us or forsake us. Also that the miracles he did we would do because he was going to the Father. Miracles and healing happen today in Jesus name through the Holy Spirit he sent to us. His spirit lives within us when we believe in Him and receive him in our heart.
Are you tired of doing life on this earth alone? You don't have to anymore. Confess with your mouth and believe in your heart that God's only begotten son, Jesus Christ, died in your place so that you could live. He rose from the dead and conquered the grave so that you could be reconciled back to God and to be his child again and live with him for all eternity. No longer an orphan, but a child of the most-high God through his son, Jesus Christ who will come again to judge the living and the dead and his kingdom will have no end.
You can, with God's Word and God's help, overcome everything that has ever held you back by believing and trusting in God through his son Jesus Christ.
If you confess with your mouth, that Jesus Christ is Lord, and believe in your heart that God has raised him from the dead, you shall be saved. (Romans 10:9)
Say it now, and be welcomed into the wonderful family of God.
